Former Knicks star Stephon Marbury will be featured on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel on Tuesday and word has already gotten out that among the topics of discussions will be the Coney Island native’s recollection of his last days in the NBA and the depression and suicidal thoughts that came along with it. Today, though, Starbury is enjoying a very successful career in the Chinese Basketball Association, which includes having won two championships, a statue dedicated to him outside of the Beijing Ducks’ arena in 2012, and most recently having even starred in a musical play about his own life.

More from our friends at HBO Sports:

REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL, TV’s most honored sports journalism series, returns with an all-new season of enterprising features and reporting when the show’s 214th edition debuts on TUESDAY, JAN. 20 (10:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Reinventing His Game. In 2009, after prolonged turmoil with the New York Knicks, Stephon Marbury turned down a one-year contract offer from the Boston Celtics and walked away from the NBA. Already dealing with deep depression over the loss of his father in 2007 and the failure of his Starbury brand of affordable basketball sneakers, the 13-year veteran struggled to cope away from the hardwood.

But in 2010, Marbury returned to the game he loved with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanxi Zhongyu Brave Dragons and had an impressive season, averaging 23 points and nine assists. Now, after five seasons in the CBA, Marbury, 37, is one of the league’s biggest stars. Since 2011, he has been a member of the Beijing Ducks, leading them to the playoffs each year, and capturing championships in 2012 and 2014, something the Coney Island native never experienced in the NBA. More recently, his Starbury brand has been reenergized by his success in China. REAL SPORTS correspondent Carl Quintanilla heads to Beijing, where Marbury tells him he has no plans to come back to the U.S.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/media/slam-tv/stephon-marbury-featured-hbo-real-sports-tuesday-video/feed/0SLAMonlineStephon Marbury Stars in Musical Play About his Life in China (VIDEO)http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephon-marbury-stars-musical-play-life-china-video/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/stephon-marbury-stars-musical-play-life-china-video/#respondThu, 20 Nov 2014 22:16:04 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=340855

Stephon Marbury is just winning on so many levels right now. You have to give it to him. He’s been able to revive his career quite well in China after his notorious

Stephon Marbury is just winning on so many levels right now. You have to give it to him. He’s been able to revive his career quite well in China after his notorious fallout with the New York Knicks in 2008.

He’s won two Chinese Basketball Association championships, an All-Star MVP hardware and even had a statue dedicated to him outside of the Beijing Ducks’ arena back in 2012 after leading them to the CBA title.

Now? He’s starring in a musical play about his own awesome life. Like, seriously.

Check out the end of the video above to see Starbury put some dance moves together on stage. Yeah, he’s winning.

“I Was Marbury” is the tale of the former Knicks and Nets guard and the 2011-12 Beijing Ducks, the team he led to a championship (we were hoping the play would be called “The Shoot-First Point Guard”).

According to SI.com, “The play’s director, Zhou Wenhong, told Chinese media that the main theme of the play will be ‘never give up’ and will incorporate choreographed basketball moves with dance. Marbury, however, describes the play’s story in grander terms, saying in a press conference the play focuses on ‘Sino-US relations.'”

There’s more: Marbury will only appear occasionally and guests like former NBA players Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi will show up on stage.

Coach Starbury has a nice ring to it, no? Stephon Marbury will serve as an assistant coach for the Beijing Ducks. Per NIUBBALL: “Stephon Marbury’s Beijing Ducks may have been sent home packing earlier than expected, but Marbury will be sticking around in Beijing to start another China career: coaching. In an interview on BTV, the 36 year-old guard announced that he will serve as an assistant coach for Beijing as they prepare to participate in the 2013 China National Games. He will work under his CBA head coach Min Lulei, who serves the same position for the Beijing Ducks. The National Games, which happen once every four years, are completely separate from the Chinese Basketball Association season. As a sort of intra-China Olympics, the National Games pit the country’s different provinces against each other in various athletic events, including basketball. The two-week competition will start in late August in host-province Liaoning. However, there will be a qualifying tournament in late April for basketball. Guangdong won the basketball tournament in 2009, which was held in various cities in Shandong.”

Stephon Marbury is a champion…in China. Starbury, who’s become a huge sensation in the Chinese Basketball Association after reinventing himself as an accessible man of the people halfway across the world from where he once starred in the NBA, led the Beijing Ducks to their first CBA League title in franchise history, after scoring a game-high 41 points to seal a 4-1 series victory over fellow American Aaron Brooks’ team.

Beijing Ducks, led by former NBA star Stephon Marbury who notched game-high 41 points on Friday night, clinched their first-ever title of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league.

Edging defending champions Guangdong Hongyuan 124-121 at home, Beijing Ducks, who entered the finals for the first time, won 4-1 on aggregate in the best-of-seven series. Guangdong had been crowned seven times in the past eight seasons.

With the breathtaking victory, Beijing Ducks became the fourth CBA title holder in 17 years, following eight-time winners Bayi Rockets, Shanghai Sharks and Guangdong Hongyuan.

“I still can’t believe we won the title and I need some time to accept the fact. Before the new season was launched, the team had been confident in playing better, but it’s been a mere dream to win the title for us,” Beijing coach Min Lulei said after the tough duel.

Marbury, who had never played in NBA or CBA finals before the year 2012, vowed to win a league title when he came to China three years ago. His dream also came true tonight.

Marbury was again the man of the match, chipping in 41 points, three rebounds and seven assists while teenager Zhai Xiaochuan added 22 points. Beijing’s another foreign player Randolph Morris was not on fire from the field but his consistent free throw gifted him 14 points.

The main threat to Beijing tonight came from Aaron Brooks, also a former NBA star, who collected 33 points, four rebounds and five assists for the visitors while James Singleton added 29 points and nine rebounds.

The former NBA All-Star couldn’t physically cut in the Chinese Basketball Association, and so continues his sad saga. The AP has the latest: “Three-time NBA All-Star Steve Francis is leaving his Chinese team after playing in just four games over two weeks. Chinese media say the out-of-shape 33-year-old played just 14 minutes for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks. To the consternation of his coach, Francis left the stadium midway through the Ducks’ 104-89 victory over the Jiangsu Dragons on Sunday. Francis had reportedly signed with the Ducks for $800,000 for the 32-game 2010-11 season, a portion of which he will receive as a settlement. ‘I feel unhappy that I couldn’t play the game. I know I was not well-prepared physically to help the team on court. As the team is in hot form, I think it is best for both sides for me to terminate my contract,’ Francis was quoted as telling Beijing Television on Monday afternoon. A number of former NBA stars, including former All-Star Stephon Marbury, signed with Chinese teams this season following the lifting of a $60,000 monthly salary cap. Ducks coach Min Lulei said he’s been willing to provide a personal trainer for Francis, but the player merely asked for more game minutes.”

Steve Francis is now the latest former NBA player to “take his talents” overseas. The Franchise joins a long list of former NBA players to bolt to China. Some notable names include Rafer Alston, Ricky Davis, Quincy Douby, Fred Jones, Josh Boone, and Javaris Crittenton. For more information, check out NiuBBall.com: “According to CCTV5′s NBA analyst and Sina Sports writer, Yu Jia, Steve Francis is all set to join Marbury in the Chinese Basketball Association this December. Yu reported ‘Beijing and [Steve] Francis is basically a done deal’ via his Sina Microblog (China’s equivalent to Twitter) earlier today. Sina Sports has a full writeup, reporting that Francis and Beijing have a preliminary two-year deal agreement in place. The contract is to be worth $2 million annually. Beijing’s GM, Yuan Chao, has been quoted as saying that the deal is not official as of yet.”